The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-06
The kindergarten.

The kindergarten supplies much
that is most needed for the quick-witted,
but often superficial or spoiled, Ameri-
can child. The systematic training in
accuracy and consecutive thought, the
thorough elementary training in form,
numbers and color, not from book
knowledge, where ideas are like "pre-
pared food,' but from tangible blocks,
bits of wood, paper, sticks, rings, etc,
placed before the child, so that by
constant handling of these simplest
forms the great ground principles of
geometry and numbers inevitably grow
in the child's mind as an evolution of
his own brain. This is practical educa-
ton, and as planned by the wisdom of
the child-loving Froebel is a JOY and no
task. Spend an hour with these little
ones, whose nurseries are crowded
with elaborate mechanical toys; 90,
then, into their kindergarten and see
their interest in simple bundle of lit
tie plain sticks. They lay them in
perfect squares, and one little one
looks up all aglow, " Why, my hand
kerchief is a square" " And so is my
big pictured book" chimes in another
And so they talk of things present and
things in memory until the form is
fixed and familiar. They are growing
stronger and better than they would be
playing with a wound up top. Then
they are busy; they weave and realize
that it is work; they feel the labor of
making a paper mat, and often recog-
nizing the same pattern in curtains OF
| dress goods have sense of re.
] fnr hn lob inn
of the kindergarten touch upon al
knowledge and trades, giving dizziness
of lingering with and without tools
What true child does not like muC
pies? To make mud pies in clean pot
ter's clay is just as charming to the
child, and the pie will keep. One boy
was so charmed with his work of model
ing in the kindergarten that he melted
his sisters old wax doll and made {
neat little tea-set out of the wax, which
quite compensated his sister for thu
loss of the eyeless doll. Thus the crea
tive power is encouraged instead o
the destructive, and the result is al
added power, which is pleasure a
the moment and Of positive and lastin!
advantage. a Harvard graduate one
told the writer that he felt the benefi
of his kindergarten geometry al
through his college mathematics
Things were clear to him that othe
fellows found much difficulty in under
standing. Professor Hill prepared
geometry for his own children, to b
used from five to seven years of age
saying. " 1t will be found that childre
of this age are quicker at comprehend
ing first lessons in geometry than thos
of fifteen. | wish to teac
him to conceive of forms. The child
powers of sensation are developed be
fore his powers of conception, an
these come before his reasoning pow
ers. This is, therefore, the true orde
of education. Geometrical facts ar
fitted to arouse a child to the observe
ton of phenomena and to the perceI
ton of forms as real entities" a pro
fessor in a German university state
publicly that in his classes in mathemat
les he could pick out the kindergarte
trained students. Drawing and paint
ing of the most elementary kind forr
an important part of this play-worl
and when the time comes for the tire
RS the power of observation has bee
81 llletl 10 ~ WI
at all, the fingers are so used to draw
ing and working that writing need nc
begin with pot-hooks, but at once as
symbol of an idea; and in arithmetic
the child having counted with blocks
etc, added, subtracted, multiplied an
divided, he needs only to have e1
planned to him how to put it on the pape
for convenience and it has lost il
tedium. Time is not lost 1t is gal
in every way to give the little one
from three to four until they are seve
years old, thorough kindergarte
training. The games give healthfl
exercise, very unlike the tedious prom
enade. To fly about with arms e>
tended, on tiptoes, in imitation of
bird, with a pretty song directing tn
movements, is eXhilarating. Whi
child would not rather play so than I
walk up and down alone with its nurse
The selishness of the spoiled or onl
child is cured by seeing how impossibl
it is to play happily unless all the chi
dren take an equal part. 1t is niue
easier to teach the golden rule by play
ing together than by years of precept.-